The racecourse by the Maty stream opened in 1981, officially called the Olympic Centre of Szeged is situated in the southwest, only a few kilometres away from the city centre. Szeged Airport is in the direct vicinity, surrounded by Road 55 (Szeged-Baja) in the north and Road 5 (Szeged-Röszke) in the south.

The racecourse was artificially constructed by damming, therefore it is free from currents and is well protected from winds. The features of the racecourse include an Albano buoy system, 9 racing lanes and a warm-up facility separated by a dividing strip. Timing and finish line photography are operated in combination with the starting system. The facility fully conforms to the criteria established by the International Canoe Federation.

Main features:

Full length: 2,400 meters

Width: 140 meters

Depth: 2.5-3 meters

Maty stream

The White Lake, the largest salt lake of Hungary is situated near Szeged, spreading over 20 square kilometres. This protected environment transformed into fish lakes is connected with the Maty stream, which has been important for the nearby settlements since ancient times. The term ‘ancient times’ is no exaggeration: during the excavation of the track of the M5 motorway the archaeologists discovered the remains of an over 3,000 year-old wooden bridge from the Bronze Age. The 115 meter long, 3 meter wide wooden bride was probably built before the Romans, providing access for the various tribes living by the Maty stream. The former course of the Tisza channelled the White Lake’s water into backwater, to be developed into a reservoir and later on a racecourse opened in 1981.

The Maty stream and the Olympic Centre in Szeged are classified among the best race courses of the world. With features satisfying the international standards, it is suitable for international kayak-canoe tournaments, as well as rowing and triathlon events.

Over the past 20 years the Hungarian Canoe Federation organized 3 world championships and numerous world cups in Szeged.

The current investment will provide modern infrastructure, including the stands and the racecourse as well. The developments concern the underwater rigging, the buoys, the signals, the starters and the whole info-communication system for the implementation of races. The scale of the international media presence will require unique camera positions set up on the dividing strip in order to answer all the challenges and to satisfy all the requirements both from the press and the audience.

Maty stream

The White Lake, the largest salt lake of Hungary is situated near Szeged, spreading over 20 square kilometres. This protected environment transformed into fish lakes is connected with the Maty stream, which has been important for the nearby settlements since ancient times. The term ‘ancient times’ is no exaggeration: during the excavation of the track of the M5 motorway the archaeologists discovered the remains of an over 3,000 year-old wooden bridge from the Bronze Age. The 115 meter long, 3 meter wide wooden bride was probably built before the Romans, providing access for the various tribes living by the Maty stream. The former course of the Tisza channelled the White Lake’s water into backwater, to be developed into a reservoir and later on a racecourse opened in 1981.

The Maty stream and the Olympic Centre in Szeged are classified among the best race courses of the world. With features satisfying the international standards, it is suitable for international kayak-canoe tournaments, as well as rowing and triathlon events.

Over the past 20 years the Hungarian Canoe Federation organized 3 world championships and numerous world cups in Szeged.

The current investment will provide modern infrastructure, including the stands and the racecourse as well. The developments concern the underwater rigging, the buoys, the signals, the starters and the whole info-communication system for the implementation of races. The scale of the international media presence will require unique camera positions set up on the dividing strip in order to answer all the challenges and to satisfy all the requirements both from the press and the audience.

Other (Expo)

Similarly to former events, this year’s world championships will also feature an Expo, attended by distributors of kayak-canoe related items. The Expo located near the stands will offer quality products for both the contestants and the fans of kayak-canoe sports. The area will be open during the whole competition period.

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